Non-polar ingredients and compounds are not easily dissolved in aqueous solutions, such as water or other polar solvents. A number of non-polar ingredients and compounds are used in compositions for human ingestion. These include, for example, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and/or dietary supplements. Exemplary of non-polar ingredients are vitamins and minerals, fatty acids, and other non-polar compounds, non-polar bioactive agents and non-polar ingredients. Because of poor water solubility, inclusion of non-polar ingredients and compounds in products for human consumption, for example, in supplements, foods and beverages, can be problematic, and the amount of non-polar ingredient that can be included is limited.
Water-soluble forms of vitamin E, such as TPGS (D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate), in particular TPGS 1000 (D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate), have been approved by the FDA as vitamin E nutritional supplements. TPGS is a stable, tasteless and odorless source of readily bioavailable vitamin E that does not hydrolyze under normal conditions. TPGS, TPGS homologs, TPGS analogs and TPGS derivatives also are used as surfactants, and have been used to prepare stabilized formulations of food, beverage, pharmaceutical or nutraceutical products containing non-polar compounds. TPGS (and homologs, analogs and derivatives) has been used as a solubilizing agent for such stabilized formulations, such as water-soluble formulations that contain water-insoluble non-polar compounds, such as drugs, vitamins, or other biologically active compounds, such as natural and non-natural omega-fatty acids. Thus, TPGS possesses the dual function of providing additional dietary vitamin E and providing stabilization to a formulation.
Available products containing non-polar compounds, particularly products for human consumption, such as food and beverage products containing non-polar compounds, and methods for formulating such products, are limited. In addition, the amount, or concentration, of non-polar compounds in available food and beverage products is limited due to the display of undesirable organoleptic properties when the amount of non-polar compound is increased. Thus, there is a need to develop products for human consumption, such as food and beverage products, that contain non-polar compounds and methods for making the products. There is an additional need to develop products for human consumption, such as food and beverage products, that contain a higher amount of non-polar compound than is offered in available food and beverage products. There also is a need to develop products for human consumption, such as food and beverage products, that retain their organoleptic properties when they contain a higher amount of non-polar compound. Accordingly, it is among the objects herein to provide food and beverage products containing non-polar compounds, in particular, food and beverage products containing more non-polar compounds than available products that retain desirable organoleptic properties, and methods for making the products.